Prosopis julifloru(seemai karuvelam )

11. Why is a called Prosopis julifloru often mentioned is news?
a) Its extract is widely used in cosmetics.
b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows.
c) Its extracts is used in the synthesis of pesticides.
d) None of the above

Ans: b) It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows.
Explanation:-

Prosopis juliflora (P juliflora), an exotic tree, is one of the top invaders in India. A native of South and Central America, it was introduced in India to meet the fuel wood requirement of the rural poor and to restore degraded lands. It tends to reduce the biodiversity in the area in which it grows.

Recently Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to enact a law on prohibition of seemai karuvelam trees (prosopis juliflora) because These trees suck lot of water by invading into the water bodies

For  decades,  tree  lovers  and  environmentalists  across  the  country  have  been  campaigning  against Prosopis  Juliflora.  Also  called  Vilayati  kikar,  Prosopis  juliflora,  allows  no  other  species  to  thrive  and destroys biodiversity. It is considered a noxious invader in Ethiopia, Hawaii, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Kenya, the Middle East, India, Nigeria, Sudan, Somalia, Senegal and Southern Africa. It is also a major weed in the southwestern United States. It is hard and expensive to remove as the plant can regenerate from the  roots.  It  also  takes  over  pastoral  grasslands  and  uses  scarce  water.  Livestock  which  consume excessive amounts of seed pods are poisoned due to neurotoxic alkaloids. It causes land erosion due to  the  loss  of  the  grasslands  that  are  habitats  for  native  plants  and  animals.   The  Delhi  government recently gave its nod to clearing the Central Ridge of the non-native tree in the hope that the area‘s original flora — which are called the lungs of the city — as well as fauna can be restored.